Improvement in locks



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM LORENZ, OF LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT lN LOCKS.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LORENZ, of Lebanon, in the county of Lebanonand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Padlock; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, forming a part hereof, in which-Figure 1 is a plan view with the coveringplate removed; Fig. 2, aplanwith the plate attached; Fig. 3, across-section on the line .s s of Fig.1; Fig. 4, an elevation; Fig. 5, a plan and side view of the tumbler adetached; Fig. 6, a plan and side view of the tumbler a; Fig. 7, a planand side view of a leaden seal.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and mode of operation.

In Fig. l, A is the case, the side walls of which inclose a circularspace, in which the ring B, of which the hasp B forms a part, moves. Thecase A is furnished with recesses b, a center pin,C, and the projectionsD. The ring B is provided with recesses corresponding, as shown, withthe recesses b. a a. a are tumblers. A spiral spring, E, is attached atone end to one of the projections, D, and at the other end to the ringB. Springs F, one for each tumbler employed, are each attached at oneend to the ring B, the other ends respectively bearing on the tumblers aa a. The tumbler a. is furnished with a knil'e edge, as shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. l represents the several parts in the positions they occupywhen thelock is locked.

I will now proceed to describe the operation of the several parts inlocking and unlocking.

The key is provided with beards correspondin g in number and positionwith the tumblers. The key-hole G, Fig. 2, corresponds with the shape ofthe beards of the key. When the key is applied, the beards come into theopen spaces between the tumblers, and-in turning the key the tumblersare pushed into the re cesses b, detaching the ends of the tumblers afrom the corresponding recesses in the ring B, and allowing the spiralspring E to drawback the ring B, thus opening the lock. To close thelock it is only necessary to press the hasp B with the fingers into itsoriginal position, (shown in Fig. 1,) the tumblers a, a a.' being drawnback by means ot'v the springs F into their original position. (Shown inFig. l.)

For additional safety the case A is provided with an opening, H, intowhich Inay be inserted, when the lock is untastened, a leaden seal, s,Fig. 7,which in locking is put into such a position as to be oppositethe knife-edge ofthe tumbler a.

In thel operation of unlocking, the knit'c edge will be necessarilypushed by the corresponding beard of the key through the stem ot' theseal, thus destroying the seal and allowing it to drop out.

The several parts ot' the lock may be made of any metal.

The lock represented has three tumblers, but one tumbler or any numberot' tumblers may be employed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim therein as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Constructing the hasp B so that its hinge shall form the notched ringB, which can be moved only when the tumblers a a c are lifted out of thenotches in the ring B, substantially as set forth.

2. Constructing one of the tumblers with a knife edge, to be operated bythe key, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as set forth.

3. The spiral spring F, attached at one end to the case A and the otherend to the ring B, operating substantially as described.

W. LORENZ.

